Rouen in a day
Plans for one day in Rouen: the cathedral Monet painted, the church of Saint-Maclou and the old plague cemetery of the Aître Saint-Maclou, Saint-Ouen Abbey and the half-timbered Rue Eau-de-Robec, then the Gros-Horloge, the Gothic Palais de Justice, Place du Vieux-Marché where Joan of Arc was burned and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, with the view from the Côte Sainte-Catherine in the evening. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Rouen in 1 day
Day 1
Rouen Cathedral
Gothic cathedral whose west front Monet painted more than 30 times, topped by a cast-iron spire, the tallest in France.
Church of Saint-Maclou
Late-Gothic church with a richly carved five-arched porch and Renaissance wooden doors, in a square of timber-framed houses.
Aître Saint-Maclou
Sixteenth-century plague cemetery, a courtyard of half-timbered galleries carved with skulls, bones and a dance of death.
Saint-Ouen Abbey
Huge Gothic abbey church with tall, light-filled windows and a park behind it; its opening days are limited, so check before going.
Rue Eau-de-Robec
Street of half-timbered houses along a little channel of the Robec stream, once a quarter of dyers and weavers.
Gros-Horloge
Renaissance arch across the main street carrying a great gilded clock face; climb the belfry for a view over the roofs to the cathedral.
Palais de Justice (Rouen Courthouse)
Flamboyant Gothic courthouse, once the seat of the Norman parliament, still a working court; admire its carved courtyard front from outside.
Place du Vieux-Marché and the Church of St Joan of Arc
Square where Joan of Arc was burned in 1431, with a modern church shaped like an upturned boat holding Renaissance stained glass.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen
Large fine-art museum with Caravaggio's Flagellation, one of Monet's paintings of Rouen Cathedral and many Impressionist works.
Côte Sainte-Catherine
Steep chalk hill east of the centre, climbed on footpaths for the classic view over Rouen's spires and the Seine, best at sunset.
When to go to Rouen
May to September is the best time, with long days and the cathedral light show on summer evenings. The Joan of Arc festival is held around the end of May, and the Christmas market fills the cathedral square in December. Rain is common in Normandy in any season, so bring an umbrella.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Rouen on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Rouen on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Rouen on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for France from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Rouen
- The Musée des Beaux-Arts is closed on Tuesdays and its permanent collection is free.
- The cathedral is closed on Monday mornings, and the Gros-Horloge museum keeps short afternoon hours; check before you go.
- Rouen's old town is compact and flat enough to walk; the climb up the Côte Sainte-Catherine is steep, so wear good shoes.
- Many churches close at lunchtime, so see them in the morning or mid-afternoon and use midday for a meal.
- On summer evenings a light show is projected onto the cathedral's west front; check the season's dates.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Aître Saint-Maclou: Jean-noël Lafargue, FAL
- Church of Saint-Maclou: Alphaclem, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gros-Horloge: DXR, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen: Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palais de Justice (Rouen Courthouse): Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0
- Place du Vieux-Marché and the Church of St Joan of Arc: Herbert Frank from Wien (Vienna), AT, CC BY 2.0
- Rouen Cathedral: DXR, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rue Eau-de-Robec: Martpan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint-Ouen Abbey: Bert in England, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
